In Chad Knaus' meticulously neat office at Hendrick Motorsports, the presence of one memento and the conspicuous absence of so many others reveals much about NASCAR's greatest active crew chief.

Of all his Sprint Cup success with Jimmie Johnson, Knaus keeps only one trophy – marking the No.48 Chevrolet's first victory at Auto Club Speedway in April 2002. There are no photos of family – and not because Knaus doesn't desire them.

In the immediate afterglow of Johnson's fourth title, Knaus spoke longingly of having a wife and kids. After their Daytona 500 win a year ago, he fawned over his new fiancée and wedding plans.

But entering a season in which he and Johnson will chase a record-tying seventh title in NASCAR's premier series starting in Sunday's Daytona 500, Knaus is single (again), childless and resigned to those being necessary sacrifices.

"Man, I have failed at that one miserably," he said with a chuckle. "This is my family. It really is. I love my job. I can't put the amount of effort into a relationship that you need. ... I thought I could balance both."

There is a single-minded focus and work ethic within Knaus that some might say borders on the maniacal. His fastidious and forthright style has been hailed as NASCAR's answer to Nick Saban among crew chiefs. He doesn't allow his crewmembers to use phones at the track, and he has explored the concept of building cars in 24-hour shifts.

Ray Evernham, voted the greatest crew chief in history by a 2006 media panel, hired Knaus at Hendrick more than 20 years ago and recalls the Rockford, Ill., native telling him, "I want to be you within five years." He estimates Knaus has toiled 90-100 hours a week since to achieve it.

"He's made an unbelievable commitment to become the best crew chief of his time, and he's well on the way to being the best crew chief ever," Evernham said. "I'm amazed that he's able to keep up with that level of intensity."

But a softer side has emerged over the past few years as Knaus, who turns 43 in August, has become a surrogate uncle to Johnson and wife Chandra's young daughters, Genevieve and Lydia. Knaus has showered them with gifts – including a xylophone and a hopscotch mat because "whatever I can do to annoy Jimmie a little, I take pleasure in it."

"Genevieve is loving you one minute, and the next she's screaming, crying and mad, and it's really weird," Knaus said, pausing to chuckle. "But it could be just me and women. I have that effect on women."

It's left Johnson feeling sometimes conflicted about whether his professional triumphs come at the price of Knaus' personal fulfillment.

"I feel for him because I see the joy that being around my children brings, and the respect he has for the relationship Chani and I have," Johnson said. "I know deep down inside, it's something that's been pulling on him for a while."

Chit-chat not his style

Knaus wakes at 5:25 a.m. and is at the Hendrick shop for a 7 a.m. meeting that sets the tone. During the season, he typically doesn't leave before 7 p.m., and the work usually doesn't end there.

"He goes home, spreads out all his notes with a glass of wine and tries to learn more," Evernham said. "It's no different than a musician or somebody that just practices all the time."

"Here's the deal: I don't have time for a lot of chit-chat," Knaus said. "I don't go to the racetrack to have a good time. I go to work, race and win. That's it.

Knaus' closest friend probably is Johnson, who struggles with how to describe him: "As intense and crazy as he is, he's kind of a teddy bear at times. You know what Chad is? He's complicated."

Active in running, cycling and paddleboarding, Knaus has tried to broaden his world beyond NASCAR in other ways. He signed last year with Octagon, the sports management agency representing Johnson, and has started speaking engagements (addressing a group of radiologists is scheduled for May).

He said he will be done as a crew chief by 50 and won't rule out becoming a team owner, or perhaps leaving racing for the corporate world. And there finally might be time for that long-awaited family.

"It sucks, but I know a lot of guys in their early 50s on their second marriage and still having kids and are really, really happy," he said. "So I'm thinking I'm skipping that first marriage and just kind of rolling into that second phase of life. ... I'll get a red Ferrari and 20-year-old blonde and see how it all works out.